If your life is anything like my life, then you are constantly checking the time and then rushing from place to place, from this activity to that activity. There do not seem to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. Time is such an interesting phenomenon. There is nothing obvious or rational about time, it is simply a convention that we invented to help us – what? What does knowing the time help us to do? It doesn't make us smarter, it doesn't make us stronger, and it certainly does not make us nicer. It does not make us better or more moral or more interesting. In fact, keeping time can frustrate us, can upset us and can cause us to rush when we should be savoring. And, for many of us, our most valuable commodity is time.

Mitch Albom, one of my favorite authors, released a new book to coincide with the Jewish Holidays entitled, The Time Keeper. In this short, but masterful book, he tells us the story of Father Time intertwined with the lives of two individuals, a teenage girl who wants to end her life and an elderly man who wants to live forever; his mission is to teach them both the meaning of time. Albom tells us, "Man alone measures time. Man alone chimes the hour. And, because of this, man alone suffers a paralyzing fear that no other creature endures. A fear of time running out." (p. 8) How often have we said, "I'd like to do that, but I just don't have the time." Or "I'll do it later, when I can find the time." This idea was famously recorded in the song, Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin.

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew
He'd say "I'm gonna be like you dad
You know I'm gonna be like you"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home dad?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, "Thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw", I said "Not today
I got a lot to do", he said, "That's ok"
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed
And said, "I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

Well, he came home from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
"Son, I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while?"
He shook his head and said with a smile
"What I'd really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?"

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, "I'd like to see you if you don't mind"
He said, "I'd love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and kids have the flu
But it's sure nice talking to you, Dad
It's been sure nice talking to you"

And as I hung up the phone it occurred to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat's in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home son?
I don't know when, but we'll get together then son
You know we'll have a good time then

It is easy to become wrapped up in our daily lives, all the things we "need to do", we "have to do", that we "must do". Most of which really are not that important. We devote time and energy to them, but they are not what give us satisfaction, they are not essential to our lives. Two thousand years ago, the great sage Hillel taught: Do not say "'When I have time, I will study,' for you may never have the time." (Pirkei Avot 2:5) He understood the value we put on Torah study and so he warned us that if we would only study Torah when we had the leisure, then we'd never end up studying Torah. Hillel understood, something that most of us understand as well, but have a very hard time implementing and that is living our priorities. It is the rare person indeed that who spends their time on that which they most value and not on that which demands their time and attention. I love being a rabbi, but when I sit in a meeting or at my computer writing, I'm not necessarily doing something that I want to be doing, but it is part of the job so I do it. We all have things that we do because we have to or because we are supposed to, even if it isn't what we'd like to be doing. The challenge is making sure that we do make time for whatever we value most. Albom says it well, "You marked the minutes," the old man said. "But did you use them wisely? To be still? To cherish? To be grateful? To lift and be lifted?" Dor looked down. He knew the answer was no." (p. 79) This is something we are often guilty of, we waste our time, we squander our time, don't spend our time doing that which we value the most. One of my favorite examples is the story of the Rocks and the Jar.

A philosophy professor takes an empty jar and places several large rocks in it, filling it to the top. He then asked the class, "Is this jar full?
"Unanimously, the class replied, "Yes!"
The teacher then took a bucket of gravel and poured it into the jar. The small rocks settled into the spaces between the big rocks.
He then asked the class, "Now is it full?"
This time there are some students holding back, but most replied, "Yes!"
The teacher then produced a can of sand and proceeded to pour it into the jar. The sand filled up the spaces between the gravel.
For the third time, the teacher asked, "Is it full?
"Now most of the students were wary of answering, but again, some replied, "Yes!"
Then the teacher brought out a pitcher of water and poured it into the jar. The water saturated the sand. At this point the teacher asked the class, "What is the point of this demonstration?"
One bright young student raises his hand and responded, "The point is that no matter how full your schedule, if you try hard you can always fit more things into it!"
"No," replied the teacher, "The point is that unless you first place the big rocks into the jar, you are never going to get them in. The big rocks are the important things in your life ...your family, your friends, your personal growth. If you fill your life with small things, as demonstrated by the gravel, the sand, and the water...you will never have the time for the important things.

Making time for the important things in life is at the core of the Yom Kippur message. This day we take a time out to remind ourselves that the hustle and bustle of life is not the purpose, nor does it give meaning to our lives. Everything has its time. As the teacher Kohelet in the Book of Ecclesiastes (Chapter 3) wrote and the Byrds sang: Turn! Turn! Turn!

(1) To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven; (2) A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot; (3) A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; (4) A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; (5) A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; (6) A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; (7) A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; (8) A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Or as Albom says, "It is never too late or too soon. It is when it is supposed to be." (p. 79)

The challenge in life is to use our time well. We become so preoccupied with counting and keeping track that we forget to enjoy the experience. If you are out hiking in the woods and you spend all your time looking at the map, then you won't enjoy the magnificent scenery all around you. Albom tells us, "When you are measuring life, you are not living it. I know." (p. 208)

You can't enjoy an experience if you are constantly looking at your watch and thinking about where you have to be next. Many of us saw the Simpsons High Holy Day cartoon that has been floating around the internet, Bart Simpson is at the chalkboard writing over and over again, "I will not count how many pages are left in the Machzor." How often do look to see how many pages are left rather than focusing on the experience.

Today, time is different. Make the most of this day, it comes but once a year; don't squander the opportunity. On Yom Kippur time essentially stands still. We've got no where we have to be other than right here, we have nothing that we have to do other than sit here fasting, praying, contemplating our lives and remembering. But it only lasts one day. Albom teaches us, "There is a reason God limits our days." "Why?" "To make each one precious." (p. 206)

So take this precious day. On Yom Kippur, we have the opportunity to contemplate the year that has past and we can remember. On this Yom Kippur, as on every Yom Kippur, we can remember past Yom Kippurim – our family, friends & community those who mean the most to us. On Yom Kippur we remember those no longer with us. I invite you take a moment now before we begin Yizkor to remember your loved ones. And let us say, Amen!

Gemar Hatima Tova – in just a moment we will continue on page 290.